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The History of Brooks Machine Products Ltd.

Brooks Machine Products Limited was established in 1946 when Fay Brooks, a pressroom supervisor for Scintilla Division of Bendix Magneto in Sidney, NY, had some ideas for making parts of his own to implement his passion for ham radio operation. Fay invented and produced his own brand of radio condensor, the radio part that tunes in channels.

In years that followed, he invented and produced several other household items such as the Cyl-Tray and Jiffy Handle. The Cyl-Tray was an aluminum ice tray for freezers that made cylindrical ice cubes. The initial design idea was to make ice cubes that would fit into thermos bottles, but later also found use in homemade popcicles. The Jiffy Handle was an aluminum frame that gave pasteboard milk cartons a convenient way to handle.

These commercial endeavors were difficult to manage alone, so Fay began picking up work for his machines from local companies such as the one he had worked for in the beginning, Bendix. Through the 1960's, Fay built up a respectable business and even expanded to a new larger building just up the street from the original building here in Unadilla on Martinbrook Street. Fay's son Walter enlisted in the U.S. Air Force soon after High School where he trained in airplane frame repair during the Korean War.

When Walter's Air Force term was up, he decided to attend a tool and die design school in Indianapolis. Over the next four years, he worked at several automotive manufacturing facilities in the Indianapolis area. He then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and worked at General Electric for five years. At the Evandale plant, he worked designing tooling and parts for jet engines.

In the summer of 1970, Fay passed away, and Walter moved his family from Cincinnati to Unadilla, New York and took over as president of the small company. Over the next decade, Walter worked very hard to build up the company and broaden the customer base. Working for companies such as Custom Electronics (Oneonta, NY), Universal Instruments (Binghamton, NY),Teledyne Continental Motors (Florida, Alabama, et al), as well as increasing business with Bendix, now Amphenol Aerospace Corporation - Bendix connector Operations (Sidney, NY). Stamping and forming merged with drilling, milling and turning as well as some sheet metal fabrication to make us a full service machine shop.

In the 80's, CNC (computer numerical control) Machines began to become very popular as did personal computers. Walter's son Brad had moved to Texas to finish school majoring in Architectural Design and Engineering working with personal computers and CAD (computer aided design/drafting). Walter bought and rebuilt a larger building down the street from the business, directly next door to the origional place of business, still on the same street in Unadilla. A little over a year after the move to the newer larger facility, Brad moved back from Texas and began working in the family business, becoming the third generation Machinist.

Brad also embraced the newer electronic machinery and computers and Brooks Machine Products became one of the first machine shops in the area to have aWire EDM Machine (Electrical Discharge Machine).
Not long after that there came the first personal computer system and AutoCAD software. CNC turning and milling soon followed and Brooks Machine Products was again a leading edge full service manufacturing facility in the area.

Over ten years later, Brooks Machine Products is now a leader in the area of aerospace stamping and forming as well as machining of all kinds including precision fabrication, brazing, soldering, and welding. Personal computers are implemented for many aspects of the business and the Internet is the newest addition to the continual upgrading of the machine shop.

Walter Brooks is at the helm along with his wife, Edna. Brad is General Manager of the business and his wife Susan is the Lead Inspector as well as Production Manager. Brooks Machine Products has been a family business for many years and will continue for many years to come.